A so-called attachable compactor is a supplementary/attachable device for an excavator used, in particular, in trench and pipeline construction. Such attachable compactors are, for example, described in DE 10 2013 200 274 A1, DE 20 2004 015 141 U1 and DE 10 2008 006 889 A1. Generic attachable compactors generally comprise a base plate that can be vibrated by means of a vibration generator, usually an eccentric generator, a power unit for the vibration generator and a superstructure that is connected to the base plate via damping elements, the superstructure further comprising a coupling device for connecting an excavator arm. During operation, the operator of the excavator places the attachable compactor by means of the excavator arm at the position on the ground that is to be compacted. The attachable compactor is then pressed with its base plate onto the ground and the vibration generator is turned on. As a result, the vibratory motions generated are transmitted to the ground, whereby the ground is compacted.
The essential factor for the efficient operation of the attachable compactor is the amount of time the attachable compactor is pressed onto the respective point in the ground while in the vibrating mode. On the one hand, this process has to be maintained until a desired soil compaction is achieved. On the other hand, however, as of a certain point, the longer the attachable compactor is placed on the ground, the less the soil compaction progresses. This means that the compaction process becomes increasingly ineffective over time as of a certain point. This situation occurs, in particular, if the excavator does not press the attachable compactor down during the compacting operation. The progressively condensed ground then yields downwards, which renders the compaction process and, in particular, long compaction intervals even more inefficient.
It is known in the prior art, for example DE 20 2004 015 141 U1, to monitor the degree of compaction of the ground by means of an acceleration measurement of the base plate throughout the compacting process. However, this process is comparatively complex and also cost-intensive to implement. DE 10 2013 200 274 A1 also proposes a “compaction end detection.” Specifically, this is to be displayed when no further or at least very unsubstantial further compaction of the soil takes place during the operation of the attachable compactor. For this purpose, the progressing soil compaction is tracked by a sensor during the work process.